UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- It all came together at Tuesday's City Council meeting, in terms of passing a 2014 budget that includes not only extensive road paving but also 1,000 tons of salt to ride out a rough winter.

Council unanimously approved all three measures, beginning with appropriations of $15.4 million in this year's general fund, including a $2.2 million carryover from 2013.

In addition to $550,000 earmarked for road paving projects, council authorized a $65,000 expenditure for a deal on road salt that was swung with Cargill Inc. of Cleveland, the city's old supplier.

Cargill had previously been the choice of the state through the Ohio Department of Transportation's cooperative purchasing program for salt, which this year locked in a price of $29 a ton with Morton Salt of Fairport Harbor.

But supplies have been short and shipments sporadic, although they continue to trickle in. The city is still owed 200 tons on a 1,000-ton order placed with Morton back on Jan. 3, noted City Service Director Jeff Pokorny.

University Heights actually stores most of its salt stockpiles in neighboring Cleveland Heights, which has been loaning its salt on an as-need basis and is still owed 200 tons from that. But Cargill has agreed to sell University Heights another 1,000 tons at a rate of $65 per ton, which Councilman Steven Sims said is a textbook case of supply and demand.

"We've paid $45 a ton in recent years, and $29 was a great deal," Sims said. "And while $65 a ton is a lot, we need the salt."

In checking with salt suppliers in Kansas and New York, nothing was available, Pokorny told council, adding that "the Detroit Salt Co. will put you on a waiting list" -- like Cargill.

"So we really don't have an option," noted Councilman Phil Ertel.

Mayor Susan Infeld commended Pokorny for negotiating the deal with Cargill, where other latecomers have not been as successful.

Speaking of supply and demand, Pokorny said the first shipment from Cargill should be arriving at the Cleveland Heights yard in 7-14 days.

Meanwhile, the city has cut back on the amount of salt it is using this season, concentrating on intersections and hills and curves along sidestreets.

The contract with Morton was paid for last year, but City Finance Director Larry Heisel noted that he "encumbered" $61,000 from 2013 to this which is almost enough to cover the new purchase.

As for the road paving, City Engineer Joseph Ciuni said University Heights is again going out to bid with Shaker Heights on its respective contract.

There will be seven roads paved, including two sections of Fenwick Road, where the stretch from Cedar Road to Silsby hasn't been paved since 1989. The other section, from Traymore to Meadowbrook was last paved in 1997.

The other half-dozen streets, and the dates they were last paved are:

-- Allison Road (1994)

-- Brockway Road (1995)

-- Charney Road, from Hillbrook to Meadowbrook (1997)

-- Conover Road (1994)

-- Silsby Road, from Miramar to Belvoir (1994)

-- Scholl Road (1994)

Belvoir Boulevard will also be resurfaced, with a pre-construction meeting set for March 6, with the contractor, but that project is being funded fully by Cuyahoga County, Ciuni said.

The 2014 budget also creates the position of a Community Development Coordinator, as Infeld outlined in her recent State of the City Address.

The new post will pay in the range of $50,000 to $80,000 a year for full-time, depending on experience, and $24,000 to $36,000 annually for part-time.

Right now, Infeld said she is interviewing for full-time candidates.

About the only thing that wasn't wrapped up at Tuesday's meeting was the new fire chief. Douglas Zook comes over from East Cleveland to start at the helm in University Heights on Monday, and will be sworn in at the March 3 council meeting.

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